Republic SD-4 Swallow

The Republic SD-4 Swallow was an early high-speed reconnaissance drone developed by Republic Aviation for the United States Army. Intended for use by the U.S. Army Signal Corps to target tactical ballistic missiles, it was cancelled before the first prototype could be completed, and did not see operational service.

SD-4 Swallow
Role Reconnaissance drone
National origin United States
Manufacturer Republic Aviation
Primary user United States Army
Number built 0

Design and development

Contracts were awarded by the U.S. Army in 1960 for development of a high-speed, long-range reconnaissance drone to provide targeting information to the Army's tactical ballistic missile force; competing designs for the requirement were developed by Republic Aviation, which proposed an 'clean-sheet' aircraft given the designation SD-4 Swallow, and Fairchild Aircraft, which developed a variant of the Bull Goose decoy missile as the SD-5 Osprey.[1]

Given the full designation AN/USD-4 for its overall system,[2] the SD-4 was of tailless delta configuration,[1] with power provided by a Pratt & Whitney J60 turbojet, the military version of the civilian JT12 engine;[3] two Arrow 2 jet-assisted takeoff-type rocket boosters allowing for zero length launch from a specially-designed trailer.[4]

In a similar fashion to Republic's smaller SD-3 drone, the Swallow was equipped with an interchangeable nose section allowing for aerial photography, infrared photography, or radar systems to be installed depending on mission needs.[4] Capable of operating in any weather conditions,[5] recovery following the completion of the SD-4's mission was to be by parachute.[4]

Before any flight test vehicles were constructed,[1] the program was cancelled in the January 1961s due to cost constraints.[6]

Specifications

Data from Parsch 2004[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: None
  • Length: 30 ft 5 in (9.27 m)
  • Wingspan: 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
  • Gross weight: 3,500 lb (1,588 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney J60-3 turbojet, 2,900 lbf (13 kN) thrust

PerformanceNewcome states the SD-4 and SD-5 were subsonic.<ref name='New'>

  • Maximum speed: Mach 1.5
  • Range: 300 mi (480 km, 260 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m)
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See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References

Citations

  1. Newcome 2004, p.75.
  2. Parsch 2004
  3. Aviation Week & Space Technology volume 73 (1960), p. 361.
  4. Ordway and Wakeford 1960, p.USA51.
  5. Jane's 1959–1960, p.377.
  6. Stanfield 1961, p.25.

Bibliography

  • Newcome, Lawrence R. (2004). Unmanned Aviation: A Brief History of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Reston, Virginia: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ISBN 978-1-56347-644-0.
  • Ordway, Frederick Ira; Ronald C. Wakeford (1960). International Missile and Spacecraft Guide. New York: McGraw-Hill. ASIN B000MAEGVC.
  • Parsch, Andreas (5 May 2004). "Republic SD-4 Swallow". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4: Undesignated Vehicles. Designation-Systems. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  • Stanfield, Robert I. (March 1961). "America's First Corporate Jet". Flying. Vol. 68 no. 3. New York: Ziff-Davis Publishing. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  • Taylor, John W.R. (1960). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1959–1960. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. ASIN B002G60XF8.
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